The government is to look into a proposal to give able but inexperienced contractors the opportunity to acquire government tenders.

Deputy Finance Minister Dr Awang Adek Hussin said two of the major criteria considered in tenders was the ability to offer a price and technical capability.

dr awang adek hussin "The ministry, with the JKR (Public Works Department), can ensure that the technical criteria does not deny any able contractor solely on the point of experienThe government is to look into a proposal to give able but inexperienced contractors the opportunity to acquire government tenders.ce," he told the Dewan Rakyat.

He was replying to a supplementary question, from Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), who wanted the government to state the measures to be taken to ensure that all contractors were accorded fair and just treatment.

Bung Moktar said new and inexperienced contractors did not stand the chance of acquiring tenders because one of the criteria was experience.

They should be given the chance

In his original question, Bung Moktar wanted to know the performance of bumiputera contractors and to what extent the open tender system was able to help the government raise the performance of these contractors in the economy by 2020.

Awang Adek said 44,580 contractors were registered with the Contractors Service Centre under various classes and 40,305 or 90 percent of them were bumiputera contractors.

He said that generally bumiputera contractors had yet to reach a satisfactory level of performance in terms of company management, capability to implement projects, financial strength, and full utilisation of technology and human resources.

"As such, the government feels that bumiputera contractors should continue to be given training and the opportunity to implement projects and gain experience and skills.

"This is necessary because unskilled and inexperienced bumiputera contractors will be unable to compete with the experienced tenderers," he said.

- Bernama